. Identification
re ention and reduction o state essness
procedure. The Republic of Moldova became the first State to fulfil its
pledge, adopting its statelessness determination procedure at the end of
2011. Moldova’s procedure is established through legislation and, as one
of the most detailed, serves as a good practice example for other States to
follow.70
In May 2016, UNHCR organized training for authorities working in
the field of migration and citizenship in Turkmenistan, where information
on statelessness determination procedures was provided. The Georgian
Government and a Georgian NGO facilitated the training, sharing good
practices based on their experiences. Further similar meetings, including
knowledge transfer between participating States, have taken place in Armenia and Ukraine.
Good practice:
Moldova establishes a statelessness determination
procedure to protect stateless persons
In 2011, The Republic of Moldova adopted legislation establishing a statelessness determination procedure by introducing Chapter X (Law on
Amendment and Completion of Certain Legislative Documents) to the
Law on the Regime of Foreigners (Moldovan Law). This legislation contains some of the most detailed provisions of any statelessness determination procedure, outlining how the procedure is to be conducted. An application for statelessness status can be initiated either by an individual or ex
officio by the Bureau for Migration and Asylum of the Ministry of Internal
Affairs, where there is a specialized administrative unit dealing with statelessness and information within the Refugee Directorate. The application
must contain a clear and detailed description of the facts, including the evidence necessary to substantiate a claim for statelessness, and must indicate
an individual’s place of birth, parentage and countries of habitual residence.
The Moldovan Law takes particular consideration of the special protection
concerns of unaccompanied minors and persons with mental disabilities,
both of whom are to be represented by a legal guardian. Applicants for
49